By Kristin Harris
SPARK Correspondent
Memorial’s Genesis Group, a now well-established centre
that has nurtured technology-based research, is also an incubator
for technology-based businesses aiming to bring their product
to market. The Genesis Group has sponsored numerous projects
in the areas of biotechnology, marine technology, and the
physical and life sciences.

One of the successful projects sponsored by the Genesis Group
is that of Dr. Hu Liu, associate professor at Memorial’s
School of Pharmacy. Dr. Liu’s development of a diagnostic
agent to detect heart disease in its early stages is one that
may have far-reaching effects on the health care and pharmaceutical
industries.

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 40 per cent of deaths
in industrialized nations. While cardiovascular disease can
take a number of forms, such as heart attack and stroke, its
root is in the development of arteriosclerosis, which may
be caused by genetic factors as well as environment, such
as diet and exercise. The disease starts at an early age and
progresses over a long period of time, typically about 20
years. It is often not diagnosed until its late stages, usually
when the patient suffers a heart attack. By that point, surgery
is often the only option.

Currently, the only diagnostic tool for cardiovascular disease
is an angiography, which detects blood flow in the blood vessel.
However, half of the artery must be obstructed for detection
to occur. Dr. Liu asserts, “It is important to have
a diagnostic agent to detect cardiovascular disease at an
early stage, because then there is a good chance of reversal,
delay, or even avoiding the onset of the disease.”

Dr. Liu’s work was based on the stages of degeneration
of the blood vessel as arteriosclerosis progresses in the
body. A normal blood vessel is smooth on the inside, enabling
blood to flow freely. As the disease develops, the surface
of the blood vessel becomes damaged, enabling lipids to stick
to the damaged area. Eventually, the blood vessel bursts and
a blood clot forms, which restricts the flow of blood even
further.

With support from the Genesis Group, as well as $700,000 of
research funding from groups such as CIHR, ACOA, Rx&D
and Banting Research Foundation, Dr. Liu began working in
1996 on developing a compound that can be injected into the
body as a means of early detection of heart disease.

Dr. Liu’s compound is lipid soluble; that is, it mimics
the metabolic route taken by normal lipids as they attach
themselves to a damaged blood vessel. Since the compound radiates
gamma rays, when a gamma ray camera is focused on the subject,
it can detect where radiation is coming from, and therefore
where the damage is on the blood vessel.

His preliminary experiments in rabbits and transgenic mice
showed that, indeed, the compound does detect damage to the
blood vessel. The radioactivity and damage areas correlate
in his test subjects.

Dr. Liu’s success thus far has led to the purchase of
his patent, initially achieved through Genesis, by BTG International
in 2003. As for the future of the compound, Dr. Liu states,
“We need to expand the experiment to larger animals,
and eventually to humans. However, there are still many hurdles
to overcome.” If each stage is successful, Dr. Liu estimates
that the compound will be commercially available to the medical
field in another five to seven years.